St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-21
THE LUMBERMEN MEET
The Northwestern Manufacturers Confer
on Subjects of Interest to
the Trade.
The Prospects the Best Presented in
a lumber of Years, and the
Stocks the LighteSt.
A Squabble Over REPRESENTATION
Against Minneapolis Other
Matters.

MaIterS.
The meeting of lumber manufacturers of
the Northwest was called together at II
o'clock yesterday morning at the West
hotel, Minneapolis, by the president of the
association. Hon. E. w. Durant, of Still
water. The attendance was not large.
Among those present were the following:
Minneapolis-C. d. Haven, of c. D. Haven
& Co.; J. p Harrison, general agent of Min
nesota & Northwestern Railroad company; e.
a. Boney, of Eastman, Boney Co.: w. X.
Bourne, OF the Barronette Lumber company
{. A. Smith, of c. A. Smith Co.; s. c. Hall
and L. II. Shenlin, of Hall & Ducey Lumber
company; J. B. Bassett, of J. b. Bassett 4
Co.: c. II. MaXcy, OF Q. G. Cook q Co.: w. h.
Hale, of the Washburn Lumber company; L.
c. Whitney, of the St. Anthony Lumber COM
pany; H. +. Brown, L. d. Day, H. NJ DE
Laittre, of Eastman, Bonev Il Co.; b. f. Mel
son. of Nelson, Tenney Co..
St. Paul.. P. Gribben, of the j. P Crib
ben Co.; Col. Flaurney, of the Omaha Lum-
Der company.
Other Points-W. H. Renwick. of Shell
Lake; C. H. Johnson, Algona, Ia: o. II. In
gram, c. H Ingram, J. S. Owen, +. Fl. Shaw,
Eau Claire; J. G. Ingram, Woodville; Charles
Mueller. Davenport: William L. Broekler, st.
Louis; George Willard, Burlington, Ia: f. w.
Durant, Saltwater; H. H. Hitchcock, Chicago
Lumberman; G. w. HotchkisS, secretary,
Chicago: William Hayes, of Winona Lumber
company, Winona; f. S. Bell, of Laird, Nor
Ton Co., Winona.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
The president reviewed the situation as
follows:
Since our last meeting many important
changes have taken place, not only in the luu,-
Der interests but in the commercial affairs of
our entire country. In view of the new con-
diIionS brought about by the apparent i'm
provements in the channels of trade, eSpecially
noted in the lumber traffic. coupled with an
easy money market with strong probability
that the interstate commerce act may embar-
raSS if not cripple an industry employing
millions of capital and vast armies of men, to
produce and distribute commodity that must
and does enter largely into all commercial
calculations; with population employed eX-
ceeding in number the inhabitants of our
largest state depending on the industries and
commerce we create and maintain for their
support, it was deemed necessarysby many
prominently engaged in the lumber business
that this meeting should be called in order
that resume of the past years might be pre-
sented for your consideration and the situa-
ton as to the future discussed.
The report of your secretary will serve
think TO show you that indications point to a
prosperous season for the manufacture and
distribution of the product of our saw mills,
endangered only by the unequal working Of
federal law regulating railway traffic. This
law has been in force less than thirty days,
yet short as has been the time petitions and
complaints innumerable have been forwarded
TO the United States railway commission ask
ing that notifications of the law be made to
avert ruin from the manufacturing. mercan-
tile ana agricultural products of the entire
country. The wisdom and necessity of the
change have been so apparent to the COM
mission that nnarlV all the relief
asked for has been granted.
Gentlemen, you to-day in convention as
sembled represent one of the most mportant
industrial interests of the United States, u COM
modify dependent entirely on equitable rates
of transportation. High rates of freight If the
long and short haul clause be maintained
mean an embargo on the entire lumber trade
of the country west of the Mississippi
river. Committees have been appointed by
various commercial bodies to visit Washing
ton and request that the commission exercise
the latitude the law allows them in behalf of
interests endangered by strict construction
of the interstate commerce act. Therefore l
would suggest that during this session COM
mittee be selected by you to take this i'm
portant subject in hand and secure such
changes in the workings of the law as may
serve to protect the general lumber trade
from the danger that now appears so i'm
minent.
Reports from large lumber centers aud
distributing points indicate a large and
healthy condition of trade, with slight ap-
probation of prices. A synopsis of the stock
of logs and lumber on hand within the area
of the states forming this association shows
q decrease compared with the corresponding
period of 1886 of 1,000,000,0e0 feet. Says a
prominent writer on forests and forestry:
The rapid depletion of pine forests of the
country which has heretofore resulted in low
and frequently unremunerative prices for
lumber bids fair to be checked by the high
prices now obtainable for stumpage or stand
ing pine timber. Tracts of pine timber have
changed hands during the past year at prices
that fully demonstrate value for such bold
ings largely IN excess of the calculations
made by the most sanguine lumbermen in the
past The day of cheap stumpage has passed,
and it is fair 10 presume the history OF waste
attendant upon the lumber interest in
early days has also disappeared, and while
regrets may be futile review of the last
twenty years will be profitable study for
forming the lumber economists of the future
The advisability Of maintaining this organ
ization has been questioned by gentleman
largely identified with the trade, and the
question has been raised and discussed as to
the benefit likely to accrue by retaining our
permanent association.
That the lumber trade ie important is TN
questioned. That all large commercial inter-
ests require watchful care, and that uniform
ity of purpose and action is desirable and is,
ness relationss must be apparent to each of
you. The peculiar circumstances under
which we now find ourselves placed by ma
tonal legislation must obige you Though
your local interests may ditfer) to take steps
as shall afford you and those dependent on
you that measure of safety consistent with
the great interests involved. AS your pre-
siding officer, it seems proper that such sug-
gestions the situation demands should be
presented to you, and it remains for you to
take such action thereon as may seem to you
desirable.
Secretary Hotchkiss submitted his report,
which contained the following summary of
the stocks of lumber in pile on the 1st of
April:
1886. 1887 Decrease
Michigan. 12s ,3B9942 s6s527. OOU 1888 st2
Wisconsin,. 907 52l, 100 4S4, $4,000 423, 1856 23O
Minnesota. 422S11.3l3 1922. CSC, 600 lO0 I6l, 3l3
Iowa. 204, 100000 232, 900 ........
Illinois. 433, 447,654 3l0,304,25S 123 las, 396
Missouri 800. 9l000,000 l2S,500,000 ....
Total S.1S7 $50 oSs 2,346 1858 900. 522, III
D educt n